Camping Trip from Hell
by Kanan
Summary: It all started as a peaceful trip into the woods, but it turns into a nightmare when Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, Hisoka and Watari are haunted by the souls that inhabit the lake where they set camp.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yami No Matsei, but I want to state that I will now be stealing Hisoka amd we're gonna go shopping. Bye!

Hisoka: Help me…

Camping Trip from Hell

"Ah! What a wonderful thing, camping is!"

Tsuzuki outstretched his arms to the open wilderness and breathed in the cool, mountain fresh air. He had somehow convinced Tatsumi, Watari and Hisoka to come with him on a small getaway. There were trees all around them, and everything smelled of green and nature and life. Being shinigami, having the chance to visit a place with such rich life energy was a treat. Tatsumi finally caught up with his overzealous friend and put a hand over his face to block the sun as he peered over the edge of a steep drop, where their hike had led them.

"I have to agree. It is nice to get away from the office and enjoy the clean air."  
"You mean the air Watari hasn't yet polluted by the explosions from his failed experiments?"

"Precisely."

Both of them looked back to see Watari taking his last big step up from the path they had been walking up for the past hour. He was in high spirits, though, as usual. Once he was up, he looked back at Hisoka, who was still quite a ways down, struggling to walk with his pack.

"Don't give up, Bon! You can make it!"

"Yeah… whatever…"

"Ha ha. Bon doesn't like camping, does he?"

"It's really hard to fins ANYTHING Hisoka likes, I'm afraid."

Tsuzuki set down his own pack and went back down the path where Hisoka had stopped again. The boy was hunched over, resting his hands on his knees to keep from falling over. He looked exhausted, so Tsuzuki relieved him of his pack and slung it over his own shoulders, Hisoka didn't complain, even as Tsuzuki took his arm and helped him up the rest of the way where the others were sitting, drinking tea. Watari helped Hisoka sit next to him as Tsuzuki set the boy's pack down by the others.

"So, how do you like it so far, Bon?"

"…" He was mumbling.

"Hm? What was that?"

"I said, 'you people are trying to kill me!"

"Aw, don't' worry! A little hike is good for you!"

"A LITTLE hike?"

Since Hisoka was youngest and not as strong as the others, he had far less to carry, and though he practiced martial arts and worked out daily, his body was still not accustomed to the hard work of hauling around a bunch of weight on an uphill hike. Tatsumi smiled and patted the boy on the back.

"Don't worry, Kurosaki, we're almost there."

"What? You mean this isn't the place yet?"

"Nope. We have to get up to the lakeside before nightfall. That's where we're going."

"But why there? I think this is a good enough spot!"

"Oh, but you haven't seen the lake at nightfall. It's absolutely gorgeous! Tatsumi, Watari and I have always come up here."

"We eve managed to drag the boss up here once, and he was complaining far more than you."

"And so, what happened? Did the old man have a heart attack and scold you again? (That would explain why you haven't been here lately.)"

"No. You see," Watari answered, "We got there late, just as the sun was setting, and the moment the boss saw the view, he went silent and actually smiled." End happy story. "But he was complaining the whole rest of the time!"

"How comforting."

Hisoka yawned and removed his jacket. Watari saw the exhaustion in the boy and patted his lap, motioning for Hisoka to lay down. Hisoka sleepily nodded his head and rested on Watari's lap. Tatsumi removed his jacket and placed it over the boy, who had already dozed off and Tsuzuki just stared, happily. In Hisoka's opinion, it wasn't too long at all before Watari roused him awake with a shake to his shoulder.

"Mm…? What is it?"

"We're going on out way again, Bon. Wakie, wakie!"

"What? Already? But we just stopped!"

"Actually, you've been asleep for an hour, already."

"Mm…"

Tsuzuki pulled Hisoka to his feet and helped him get his pack on.

"Don't worry, we're almost there."

"We'd better be."

They walked along the next path, only going as fast as the slowest one, Hisoka, so that he didn't feel so bad. They walked on for a long time, or so it seemed; going over bridges, and through a dense part of the forest. Hisoka stopped once again to catch his breath. It wasn't even sunset and he had used up all his energy reserves.

"Are we…"

"Here we are."

Hisoka looked up at those words, and a huge smile came over his face, only to fall once he looked around. It looked almost like the other place they had stopped at. It was mostly surrounded by trees, but was near a large lake, as opposed to a cliff. The clearing was a good size, but there was nothing significant about it. Hisoka stood in place as the others took off their packs and started unloading the items they were carrying. Tsuzuki and Tatsumi took out the tents and started putting them together, as Watari set up a mini cooler by the fire pit. Then, he got out a small device and walked to him.

"Bon, would you like to see something cool?"

"Uh… but what about-"

"Those two can handle setting up camp. C'mon!"

Watari took hold of Hisoka's arm, after helping him get his pack off, and pulled him off towards the lake. He let go of Hisoka's arm and stepped up onto a log, which lay half in the lake and half out. Hisoka watched as Watari sat at the very end of the dry part of the water and pull up his pant legs. Hisoka raised an eyebrow at this, but followed the example. Once both were there, Watari began his explanation.

"Bon, do you remember before we left when we were talking about who would do what job?"

"Yeah."

"What do you remember?"

"Tsuzuki would be responsible for looking for firewood and building the fire, Tatsumi would be in charge of keeping the area sanitary, and you would cook, but…"

"Hm?"

"You never gave me a job to do. Do you expect me to do nothing this entire time?"

"Of course not! Your job will be to fetch the water we'll be drinking!"

Hisoka looked down into the murky water in disgust before throwing a confused glance at Watari, who then lifted up the small machine.

"This is a water purifier, Bon. You put the front end into the water and manually pump the water through, like this!"

Hisoka watched Watari do it, nodding his head as he explained how it worked. When Watari had a full bag, He took out a small travel cup he had in his pocket and poured some water in it. Hisoka was terrified when his elder friend held it out to him.

"Go on, taste it!"

Hisoka hesitated, but when the cup was forced into his hands, he had no choice but to try it. He took a small sip, swooshing it around in his mouth for a minute before swallowing. His brow was knitted, and Watari was almost alarmed when Hisoka opened them and gasped.

"This… this is really good."

Watari let go of the breath he had been holding and smiled.

"Now that you know how this works, it'll be your job from now on. Understand?"

"Yeah."

"Hey 'Soka! Watari! You done over there?"

"Yup!"

"Good, now get over here!"

Watari and Hisoka carefully got off the log and back onto solid ground, heading for the campsite. Hisoka's eyes went wide, as the area no longer resembled itself. It was neater, the tents were set up, and Tatsumi and Tsuzuki were shaking hands, congratulating eachother for their accomplishments. Tsuzuki then went to Hisoka and patted him on the head.

"You must be very tired now! You can have first dibs on the hammock!"

"You brought a hammock?"

"Actually, you did! I out it in your pack."

Tsuzuki led Hisoka to where the hammock was, settled in between two trees with a tall stump next to it. Just looking at the hammock made Hisoka remember how tired he was and he yawned. Tsuzuki helped him onto it (after Hisoka's first attempt to get on it failed) and Tatsumi set a cup of warm tea on the stump next to him. As he dozed off, he still couldn't figure out why that spot was so important.

Hisoka was shaken awake hours later. It was very dark, but a red glow illuminated the entire area. Fearing the worst, Hisoka covered his face with his sleeve and curled in on himself. Tsuzuki reached over and shook his shoulder again, this time, getting Hisoka to look up at him. The boy would not have recognized him, had the man's purple eyes not shone as they did, even in the failing light.

"Tsuzuki…? What is it?"

"I want you to see."

"See what?"

"Why this place is so important."

Tsuzuki looked out upon the lake, as did Hisoka, whose eyes great in awe of the glittering lights that danced on the surface of the once murky water. Watari and Tatsumi were silent as they also watched the show, and Hisoka stared at it with his lips parted slightly.

"I had no idea…"

"Now you do. This is more beautiful than the cherry blossoms in Meifu. Don't you feel safe?"

"I do. I can't explain it."

"It's the maiden of the lake."

"The what?"

"There is an old legend that says that a man once fled here from a far away place. He was a cruel man, and he wanted to escape from the world that hated him. When he got here, he fell upon the sand before the lake and prayed."

"What did he pray about, Tsuzuki?"

"He said, 'Oh eternal waters, I give thyself to thee, in the hopes that you will cleanse this old, weary soul, and let the world be free from me.' He threw himself into the lake, and it was said that he died."

"That's a rather gloomy story."

"Oh, but it doesn't end there. They say, that the man was reborn and he was pulled from the lake by a beautiful young maiden. She cared for him until he was well, and loved him. But once the man was well again, she left, swearing to return when he needed her."

"And did she?"

"She did, but when she did, he was already dead. He had killed himself beyond the shore, where the maiden could not get to him in time. So, they say, she still lies within the lake, waiting for the soul of her lover to return to her shores."

"…It's still a sad story."

"Yes it is."

"But I like it, anyway. You tell it well, Tsuzuki."

They all stared out at the sunset, unaware of the terrors that would come at them in the very near future.


	2. Chapter 2

Camping Trip from Hell 2 

Hisoka wasn't the first to get up the next morning. In fact, he was the last. Even Tsuzuki was up and active when Hisoka crawled out of his and his partner's tent. Watari had breakfast made, and Tatsumi was reading a paper- it was an old one, but did that stop him? I don't think so. Tatsumi looked up and smiled.

"Look who is finally up. Good afternoon."

"Afternoon? I actually slept that long?"

Hisoka was almost bright red, then.

"Don't worry. I'm just glad you're relaxed enough to get a good night's sleep."

"Um, yeah. I felt oddly relaxed when I went to bed."

"The serenity of nature can do that."

Hisoka went over to Watari, who offered him a plate of food, which he refused, and Tsuzuki waved to his partner, while stuffing his face.

"So, what is on the agenda for today?"

"First thing's first. We need more water."

"Bon, can you get it by yourself this time?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Hisoka grabbed the water pouch and the purifier, and went off towards the lake. He did the same thing he did before, rolling up his pant sleeves and got the water. It took longer for him to do it than Watari- it was harder than it looked, but when he was done, he stood up, trying to balance on the log as he carried the heavy load. He stopped midway, however, as he thought he saw something move in the water by him. It didn't look like a fish, it looked…almost like a face. Hisoka stared at the water, until Tatsumi's deep voice brought him out of his daze. He almost fell off the log, but he didn't.

"You were taking so long, I just came to check on you."

"Oh, sorry."

Hisoka handed Tatsumi the water, and looked back into the water, feeling slightly dizzy.

"Don't stare at the water too long, Kurosaki."

"Hm? Why is that?"

"They say that if you do, the maiden would suspect you of being her beloved, and drag you into the depths where you would never return."

Hisoka looked startled, stepping away from the water, quickly. Tatsumi laughed and went off, leaving a frightened Hisoka to follow suit. During the rest of the day, it was very quiet. Tatsumi and Watari did some exploring, which left Hisoka and Tsuzuki to do as they pleased. Tsuzuki was lying on the hammock, eating something sweet and almost dozing off, and Hisoka was sitting on a chair near the fire pit, reading. He tried to concentrate on his book, but he kept hearing a soft voice. He looked up.

"Did you say something, Tsuzuki?"

"Hm? No, I didn't."

"Oh, I see."

"Hm… it's getting late, isn't it, Hisoka?"

"Yeah. I bet Watari and Tatsumi are on their way back."

"I hope so."

"Why is that?"

"It's not good to be out in the woods after dark. What with the legends, and all."

Hisoka had enough by then. He was tired of everyone teasing him, and telling scary stories about the lake. There was no way it could have been true. When Tsuzuki started laughing, Hisoka rose from his chair, knocking it over, and he glared at his partner. He didn't speak. He just walked off in anger. He didn't know where he was going, but the more he walked, the more dizzy he felt.

Watari and Tatsumi arrived shortly after, before it started getting dark, to Tsuzuki's relief.

"Oh, good, you're back!"

"Of course."

"We're not crazy enough to get mixed up with the maiden. Say, where did Bon go?"

"Oh, he got mad about something and stormed off."

"And you didn't go after him!"

"Well, I…"

"Tsuzuki, it is dangerous around here after dark, you know that! We have to find him."

They all agreed and ran off in the direction where Hisoka had gone.

Hisoka didn't know what the feeling was that was coming over him. He felt dizzy, almost numb, and before he knew it, he was staring into the lake again. He climbed up onto the log, which went out into a deep area of the lake and just stared down.

"Gabriel…" 

The voice… it was the noise he heard earlier while reading. He looked around, but couldn't see anyone.

"My Gabriel…come…" "Gabriel…" 

Hisoka repeated. He could sense Tsuzuki's presence drawing nearer, but he couldn't control his body.

"Come…!" 

Tsuzuki and the others had just reached the lakeside to see the blank expression upon Hisoka's face as he fell face-first into the lake.

"Hisoka!"

The water was cold. Colder than Hisoka thought it would be. Why did he just fall in? he didn't understand it at all. He was sinking, but he found he couldn't move his body the way he wanted to. His breath escaped him, and he began to feel light headed, and weak. Just as his consciousness started to fail him, he felt a warm hand fall on his cheek. His eyes opened halfway and then wider than they had ever been before. He was staring into the face of a woman. She was almost clear looking, and it scared Hisoka. The woman, without any warning, got close to him and pressed her lips to his.

"Gabriel…" 

Hisoka flailed his arms and legs about, trying to get out of the strong hold he seemed to be in, until he felt himself being pulled up. He broke though the water and let out a gasp, as air finally began to fill him up again. Tsuzuki, who had pulled him up, rested Hisoka on the ground as the boy coughed and hacked. The boy didn't want to remain on his back, and curled up on his side as the water he had swallowed was coughed out. Tsuzuki patted the boy's back until he was finished, and then wrapped him up in his large trench coat. Watari picked the boy's shivering form and they ran him back to the campsite. Hisoka was sitting in Tsuzuki's lap in front of the fire trying desperately to calm down. He was still shivering, and Tsuzuki was holding him tightly. When he started to calm down, Tatsumi spoke.

"Kurosaki… what happened?"

"It… it was impossible… a woman… I saw a woman in the water, and she kissed me…!"

"It was the maiden, for sure."

"B-but I thought you all were making that up just to scare me!"

"We would never. The maiden is real."

"You've seen her, too?"

"No, Bon. I don't know a soul who has and loved to tell about it, except for you."

"Kurosaki, the maiden isn't only a legend. She is the lost soul of a woman who was betrayed by the man she loved. She killed herself in the lake, and somehow continued to live on as a supernatural entity."

"If you know she's dangerous, then why do you come up here?"

"She was never dangerous before now. I don't know why she affected you so much… I'm sorry. I should have been there sooner…"

"Tsuzuki…"

Hisoka turned around in his partner's lap and saw the sorrowful look upon his face. He hugged him, which made Tsuzuki happier. Suddenly, Hisoka shivered and Tsuzuki noticed that the fire had gone out.

"I'll make the fire up again."

"Bad news, though. I can't seem to find the matches."

"Oh, don't' worry! I'll just build a fire the way I used to do in my time!"

Uh-oh. That was everyone's first thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

It was very dark now, and was growing colder by the second. Hisoka's hair was still slightly damp, and he was wrapped up in Tsuzuki's trench coat to prevent from catching cold. All of them stood around Tsuzuki, slightly embarrassed, as they watched the man try to build a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Everyone gasped, as they thought they saw sparks, but upon realizing it wasn't what they thought it was, they all heaved sighs. Soon, the only source of light was a flashlight Watari had brought along with them.

Tsuzuki was concentrating hard, and Hisoka was crouched on the ground next to him. Watari flashed the light at him, but the boy seemed to be in a daze with his breath visible. He didn't go back to normal and look up until Watari spoke.

"How are you holding up, Kid?"

"Don't call me kid… and I'm fine…"

"Sure. Tsuzuki, maybe we should try and find those matches now!"

"No way! I said I could do it, and I will! I'll do it if even if it kills me!"

"Okay, okay!"

"Well you wont be able to make a fire with this cold wind."

"Huh?"

All eyes fell on Tatsumi. Pointing the light at him, Watari noticed that his breath was visible, too, just like Hisoka's. The same was for all of them, in fact.

"What is going on?"

All of a sudden, a moaning sound reached their ears, and all of them jumped. The moaning continued, and bushes around them swayed and rustled. Tatsumi glared at the bushes for a long while, and Watari prepared his weapon, the all-powerful flashlight. There was silence in the camp for a long while, and then, the bushes finally settled, and all fell into silence once again.

"Achoo!"

Hisoka sneezed, making the others jump at the sudden noise. The boy wiped his nose and apologized. Tatsumi heaved a heavy breath and leant him a tissue. Watari collapsed onto a log nearby and Tsuzuki rubbed his partner's back as he stared at his failed attempts at creating a fire.

"What was that just now?"

"It was probably the wind."

"Maybe…but I sensed…"

"Hm? Hisoka?"

The boy visibly shivered and held his shoulders. He closed his eyes tightly as he remembered exactly what he had felt moments earlier.

"Pain, anger, desperation, loneliness… it was all so clear, and yet it vanished in an instant!"

"That sounds like…"

"Could it be him?"

"Huh?"

"…Gabriel."

All eyes fell on Hisoka again.

"His name was Gabriel, wasn't it?"

"It was. How did you know?"

"When I fell into the lake, I heard a voice call out that name. Mr. Tatsumi, is it possible that the cruel man's spirit lingers here, as well?"

"It is possible."

"But if that is the case… we may not be safe here at all anymore."

"No. we've never been in danger here before! What is so different…Wait…"

"Bon."

"Maybe the presence of an empath has awakened the two souls."

"…I knew I shouldn't have come."

"Hey, don't think like that! It will all be…"

Out of nowhere, a gust of wind flew through the camp, cutting Tsuzuki off. Within moments, the wind passed, and Tsuzuki opened his eyes… only to find himself alone.


	4. Chapter 4

'No!'

Tsuzuki ran as quickly as his feet would carry him into the dense forest. He had been separated from the others, and could not be sure of how they were doing. Could it be the work of the maiden in the lake? No, her influence cannot go outside of that area. Then, it must have been Gabriel. Something told Tsuzuki he should be worried for Hisoka, and worried he was. He stopped in a clearing, lit by the half moon, and once again yelled for his friends. He received no reply, and in a hurry, began to run again. He could hear the bushes moving wildly behind him. He was being followed, but not by anything friendly. It was as if he was a wild animal, being hunted, and he didn't like it.

'Are you human?'

Suddenly, he stopped. His eyes went wide, and he found he couldn't move. The voice had come seemingly out of nowhere, and it was all around him, repeating the question over and over again.

'Are you human? Are you?'

Memories flooded into him like a tidal wave, and for a moment, he almost forgot how to breathe. He saw himself as a child, crying and running away from the other kids. They threw large rocks and sticks at him, and they would not stop no matter how hard they beat him, or how loudly he yelled. He found himself yelling again. All around him, rocks were being thrown and they hit him all over. Bruises and cuts began to form on his face, his arms, his chest and his legs. But, more than the physical discomfort, he felt the emotional scars rising to the surface. He, again, questioned his existence, and whether he was human or not.

"You're human, Tsuzuki!"

The voice was desperate-sounding, and weak, but it also wasn't whom Tsuzuki was expecting to hear. He opened his eyes, unsure of when he had closed them, and found himself looking up into worried amber eyes. Watari sighed as he did so, and took out a rag from his pocket and began to clean his wounds. Tsuzuki was a mess, lying on the ground bleeding and crying, and it cut into the scientist deeply. But, seeing his co-worker smile made him feel so much better.

"You're right. I've always been human."

"Yeah, exactly."

"Watari, what happened?"

"Shh!"

Watari went stiff all of a sudden, and stared out strait ahead with a harsh glare fixed on the shadows. Tsuzuki tried to prop himself up on his elbows, and managed to do so with some difficulty.

"What is it?"

"It's him. We're definitely not alone here."


	5. Chapter 5

Hisoka was suddenly alone. He searched his memory of what had happened: they were around the fire, and they heard rustling in the bushes. A great wind blew over them, and it felt, to Hisoka, as though his soul was being probed. He could not describe the feeling, because once it was there, then gone, suddenly. He was alone in the dark, and even just the thought sent shivers down his spine. He tried to search the area with his mind, but he couldn't sense anything familiar. Finally, when he tried to move, a jolt of lightning passed through him, stunning him.

He felt strange, and numb, and couldn't move his body, as he would have liked. There was a buzzing sound in the back of his mind, slowly getting louder and louder. Then it all just stopped. He could finally move, but he was exhausted for some reason. As he tried to calm down, he heard a noise in the distance, and when he looked up, he was face-to-face with a pale white man-and he was not of the living! Hisoka tensed up and tried to move away, but his legs were shaky.

"Who are you…?"

"…"

Hisoka asked again, this time with more worry in his voice. But the entity didn't speak. He only shook his head and stepped towards him. A feeling of dread came over the boy as he felt the entity walk into him, melding with him. He was no longer visible, but he was there. Hisoka could feel the ghost enter his mind, and try as he might, he could not drive him out. Within an instant, Hisoka's world faded. He faintly remembered running, and his possessed body kept throwing stones at an unknown enemy. Hisoka could faintly recognize Tsuzuki's emotions, but he was numb to the world.

At that time, Tatsumi had entered a small clearing in the dark forest, after wandering on his own, as well, when he saw the back of a familiar young boy. He smiled, relieved to see that he was not harmed, and he walked towards him. However, when he was a few feet away, his mental alarm went off, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Kurosaki?"

Slowly, the boy turned, and Tatsumi gasped as he looked into a face that was the child's, all except for his eyes. Instead of the brilliant green they once were, they were then turned a cloudy blue. Hisoka's face was deathly pale, and his breathing was low and irregular. Cautiously, Tatsumi commanded his shadows to stand by as he took another step towards the younger.

"Kurosaki, are you in there?"

"I am not Kurosaki."

"Then who are you?"

"My name is Gabriel the wanderer."

"Gabriel… What did you do to Kurosaki?"

"The boy's body now belongs to me."

"Why do you want him? Tell me!"

"I will not."

The possessed Hisoka turned back around and started to walk away.

"You're not going anywhere!"

In an instant, Tatsumi called forth his shadows and they surrounded the boy, who instinctively lashed out, trying to get away from them. He didn't notice it when the shadow master ran up behind him, until it was too late. The boy turned, just in time to receive a harsh blow to the ribs. He gasped, but it was not in the low voice it had once been in. For the moment before he passed out, his eyes returned to normal. Tatsumi silently apologized as he lifted the boy into his arms and left to seek out his other companions.


	6. Chapter 6

Tsuzuki was finally healed enough to stand on his own, and he stared at the spot where Watari was looking at. At first, there was nothing but silence and stillness, but then he heard heavy footsteps. The bushes rustled and the wind howled, setting an eerie mood between them. Watari prepared his flashlight for a battle, and Tsuzuki reached into his pocket for a fuda. Suddenly, a dark form appeared from the bushes, and Watari ran at him with his weapon, managing to stop only a few feet away as he saw that it was only Tatsumi. Watari slumped over and dropped the flashlight, sighing in relief, and Tsuzuki gasped at seeing his young partner unconscious in his friend's arms. He ran to him and took Hisoka, holding him protectively to him as he knelt on the ground.

"Hisoka? Hisoka, wake up, okay…? Tatsumi, what happened to him?"

"I had to knock him out."

"You did?"

"Whatever for?"

"Apparently… our young friend has met the spirit of Gabriel, who had planned on using his body for some purpose."

"Hisoka's possessed!"

"This is unreal…!"

"Tatsumi, can't we exorcise the spirit?"

"I've already tried… the spirit's hold is too strong for that."

"Then what can we do?"

"Talk to him; ask him what he wants."

Tsuzuki reluctantly nodded his head and they tied the boy up. Tsuzuki finished by putting a holding spell on the boy's forehead. The sudden energy usage awoke the boy, and cloudy blue eyes opened to look upon the group.

"There is no way to escape us. You have no choice but to sit there and cooperate."

"Guardians of death…"

"We are, and so is the boy whose body you have taken possession of."

"We want Hisoka back. NOW."

"I cannot."

"Why not?"

"I have something I need to do."

Watari set a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder and removed the binding spell. The possessed boy shook his head and Gabriel stared back at the man. He and Watari stared deep into the other's eyes.

"Tell us why you need that body."

"I was a cruel man in life… I brought pain and chaos wherever I went, and hatred followed after me. I lived in constant turmoil only after I realized what I had done, but when I died, drowned in the lake of the day, I was alone."

"But you weren't for long."

"We know the legends; just get on with it."

"…The reason I need this body… is to return to the lake."

"Ah! Of course… to return to your loved one!"

"It makes sense now… Gabriel cannot return to the lake because his body failed him. Only when a person who could channel spirits was near could he reach it."

"Correct."

Tsuzuki knelt by the boy and untied him.

"Tsuzuki?"

"Listen… if I take you to the lake, you must return the kid to me."

"…I will do as you ask."

A fire flashed in the man's eyes, telling the spirit he was no one to double-cross, and as soon as the spirit was warned, the whole group made their way through the forest to return the spirit. They had been in that one spot often on the trip, and now they had returned to where the old log acted as a bridge to the world of rest, under the blue hues and green life. Hisoka stood at the very edge, ad Tsuzuki was not far away, ready to catch the boy, should he fall; the others waited on the shore.

"Gabriel… have you returned to me at last?"

"I have…"

Hisoka's eyes closed, and the spirit fell foreword, out of the small boy's body. Hisoka lightly gasped at the spirit too its' leave, and he was caught by Tsuzuki. Looking down into the water, the images of two long lost lovers could be seen embracing each other, and the lake glowed a bright color before settling. It was over. Tsuzuki looked down to the boy in his arms and hugged him tightly.


	7. Chapter 7

The night was warm… very warm… too warm. Hisoka slowly opened his eyes to darkness. The sun had set, but he wasn't outside, as he last remembered. He blinked his eyes to get used to the dark, and that's when he noticed that he was securely wrapped in his sleeping bag in his tent. He could barely move, but when he felt a slight blow of wind blowing through the tent, he felt better. He sighed and tried to settle back, but a slight movement to his attention. There, he saw Tusuzki curled up in his own sleeping bag, asleep. For a long time, he could only stare at his partner's peaceful face, but he jumped when the man started to wake. When he saw that Hisoka was awake, he smiled.

"Welcome back, Hisoka."

"Tsuzuki…is it over?"

"Yeah. It's over now…"

Tsuzuki reached over and patted the boy on the head. Then, he sleepily smiled and pulled his hand back.

"Go back to sleep, 'Soka… everything will be alright in the morning!"

Hisoka smiled, and gave in to sleep. This time, Tsuzuki watched him, until the sun began to set, and then he closed his eyes, smiling. They would be going back to the ministry soon, and he was glad they would all be going back together.


End file.
